TinyPi Pro: The Smallest Gaming Machine Yet!

Compact retro gaming solutions based on the Raspberry Pi Zero are popular, but TinyPi was the only one to attempt to retain the dimensions of the base device. But now, things have been enhanced ... prepare yourself for the TinyPi Pro!

An upgraded version of the original, the TinyPi Pro adds a 240x240 pixel 1.3” display (up from 128x128), digital audio and speaker for better sound quality, and a built-in 400mah battery with monitoring and safe shutdown (to protect the microSD card), and integrated charging.

As developer Pi0cket notes: “We took everything from the original Tiny Pi and Just gave you more. We added: More Pixels, More Buttons, More safety, More simplicity and More battery. AND Still kept it Tiny...”

But perhaps the most amazing thing about the TinyPi Pro is that it can be built without soldering.

While it will set you back $80, the kit includes the TinyPi Pro board and display, the battery back, and the custom-made Pogo Pins, spring-mounted pins that sit between the Raspberry Pi Zero’s headerless GPIO and the TinyPi Pro board. These pins avoid the need to solder the TinyPi Pro to your Raspberry Pi Zero, and once the two boards are secured with the included risers, all you need to do is provide your own RetroPie image on microSD.

With a D-pad, fire buttons and select/start buttons (as well as shoulder buttons), the TinyPi Pro gives you some great gaming options. Capable of running most 8-bit and 16-bit games, the TinyPi Pro is small enough to keep in your pocket. In almost every way it is the perfect pocket-sized retro gaming solution, albeit with one small flaw.

It’s a bit too easy to lose!

Want to buy your own TinyPi Pro kit? You can order your own TinyPi Pro from Tindie, although note the kit isn’t yet available to ship. As Pi0cket notes: “Pricing and specification could change (although we're hoping not!) The boards are currently being finalised, and then the casing needs to be designed.”

Once it arrives, however, this should be a great Raspberry Pi project to support.